“Why wouldn’t I believe the truth?” I snap. “You've hated me ever since my powers manifested.”
“Oh, so we’re actually going to talk about this?” Ciprian has the nerve to laugh. “Alright. Let’s fucking go. Are you talking about how you conveniently forgot you had a little brother? When you packed up and took off with Gideon without a word, and left me alone to deal with mom and dad? That time, Callum?” Ciprian’s voice trembles with anger and a whole bunch of other shit I can’t identify.
I pause. He’s never once talked about how things were for him.
“It wasn't like that. You know it wasn’t,” I say. I didn’t think about how me leaving would impact him, but he had manifested as a nightmare by that time. Our parents’ pride and joy. I knew he would be fine.“I had to get out. And ever since I left, you've been on their side—out to get me at every opportunity,” I grind the words out, breathing heavier with each one.
“You know what? Not everything revolves around you, Callum. If you don't want a brother, you don't have to have one.” Ciprian’s emotionless voice makes my stomach feel hollow and unsettled. I don't know what to say.
“Please.” Ciprian sighs. “Put Sheena on the phone. I'm worried about my friend.” He sounds sincere, but now I’m reminded of how he went behind my back and told her things she should have heard from us.
“I can’t,” I admit. “She's asleep right now. But I'll tell her you called.”
“Bullshit. I talked to her less than an hour ago, and she was upset. Now you're telling me she just fucking fell asleep? What did you do to her?”
Is he accusing me of hurting her now? Does he think so little of me?
Before I can shout at him some more, Gideon snatches the phone from my hand and turns his back on me. With my sensitive hearing, I can still make out both sides of the conversation.
“Ciprian, it’s Gideon. Sheena confronted me about the mate bond. We argued, I tried to explain, then... shit got really fucking weird.”
“What do you mean shit got weird?”
Gideon runs his free hand through his hair roughly and groans. “I don’t know how to explain it. She was glowing, then she passed out, and I'm freaking out now, man. Has she told you anything about her powers? I'm not asking you to betray her trust, but I have no idea if she’s going to be okay.”
Ciprian lets out a string of curses. “No, she hasn’t said anything about that. Just that those masked assholes abducted her. I didn’t want to ask. I think talking about it still fucks her up."
“Yeah, we haven't pushed either, but now I wonder if we should have. I don't know how to help her.”
“Sheena doesn’t seem that fragile, Gideon. Listening to you try to communicate—no matter how bad it was—isn’t going to take her out.”
Gideon huffs out a laugh. Fuck my brother for being the one to reassure him.
“I wasn't trying to start trouble. I swear,” Ciprian says. “She was just telling me about how her chest felt different after you got her off. It sounded like the mate stories your mom used to read to us, and I got excited for you both. I started running my mouth before I realized you hadn't told her.” My brother’s tone is sheepish, but he sounds genuine. My stomach churns. Maybe I jumped to conclusions.
“No hard feelings. It was messy, but I came clean,” Gideon says. “I’m sure we’ll work things out once she wakes up.”
Gideon agrees to keep Ciprian updated on Sheena's condition, then hangs up. When he turns to look at me, his eyes are brimming with worry, regret, and just a splash of judgment.
“Now isn't the time, but shit, Callum, I don't think he's always out to get you.”
I groan and massage my temples. “Don't start, please.”
“He's family. That's all I'm saying.”
“Yeah, and when has that fact ever mattered to any of them?” My voice sounds bleak even to me. “Anyway, can we unpack my childhood trauma later? We've kind of got a lot going on right now.” He nods, but I can tell from the stubborn set of his jaw that we will be discussing this later.
We both look at the door to Sheena’s room, and Gideon hangs his head. “What if we blew it, Cal? The way she looked at us.” He shudders, tugging again on his hair. “She was scared to death.”
I close the distance between us, pulling him into a hug.
“We’ll fix it,” I reassure him.
“I need her, you know?” His grip on me is crushing, but I don’t pull away. “I know it seems crazy fast, but she fits.”
My heart twists for him. Gideon isn’t used to feeling vulnerable, even emotionally. Sheena isn't the only one who’s scared here.
“I get it,” I mutter, thumping him on the back a few times. “Let's go wait for her to wake up. We can apologize, and then we’ll go from there.”
